Antibiotic Resistance Profiles of Bacteria Associated with Fresh and Frozen Shrimp (Palaemonetes sp.) and Their Public Health Significance

Bacteria associated with fresh and frozen shrimp were investigated to characterize the major bacterial pathogens of public health significance and to determine their antibiotic resistance profiles. Twenty (20) pieces of shrimp were analyzed using ICMSF recommended procedures. Fresh samples had an average total culturable heterotrophic bacterial (TCHB) count of 2.60 x 10 7 cfu/g and total coliform bacterial (TCB) count of 2.99 x 10 5 cfu/g while frozen samples had average count of 9.11x10 6 cfu/g for TCHB and1.66 x 10 6 cfu/g for TCB.The density of THCB and TCB in the fresh samples was significantly higher than that obtained for the frozen samples (p<0.05). A total of 290 bacteria were isolated, comprising 168 isolates from fresh samples and 122 isolates from frozen samples. The percentage of single isolate from fresh samples were: Proteus (6.5%), Escherichia (11.9%), Salmonella (8.3%), Staphylococcus (10.7%), Shigella (7.1%), Citrobacter (9.5%), Serratia (8.3%), Enterobacter (10.1%), Klebsiella (10.7%), Aeromonas (8.9%) and Vibrio (7.7%) while frozen samples had Pseudomonas (16.4%), Bacillus(4.9%), Streptococcus(15.6%), Alcaligenes (14.8%), Micrococcus (9.8%), Proteus (3.3%), Aeromonas (5.7%), Lactobacillus (11.5%), Moraxella (4.1%), Achromobacter (6.6%), and Flavobacterium (7.4%).Consumption of bacterial contaminated shrimps have been reported to be responsible for gastroenteritis, diarrhea, bacillary dysentery and typhoid fever in humans.Antibiogram of selected isolates indicated their multiple antibiotic resistances to all antibiotics. The highest resistance (100%) was recorded against streptomycin, cotrimoxazole, tetracycline, erythromycin, chloramphenicol, augmenting, gentamycin and amoxycilin. Ofloxacin (12.5%) recorded the least resistant followed by Ciprofloxacin (25%). Environmental sanitation and proper handling will reduce bacterial pathogens in shrimp and enhance its nutritional value.